Leon grinned as he went over to the drinks cabinet. ‘Sit down,’ he invited. ‘Martini?’ He poured some into a glass at her nod of acceptance. ‘He isn’t really as forbidding as he looks.’
Helen deliberately sat in one of the armchairs. ‘That was just a ruse to make me curious about him,’ she guessed.
His tawny gaze was intent upon her. ‘Now you know Max isn’t your reason for being here,’ he said huskily, bringing his own glass of whisky with him and seating himself opposite her.
She licked the Martini from her lips. ‘Wasn’t it?’ she evaded. ‘I thought it was.’
‘Helen—’
‘You have a lovely apartment,’ she cut in. ‘Did you choose the furnishing yourself?’
‘Changing the subject?’ His voice was gentle.
‘Yes. Please, Leon—’
‘Okay,’ he put up a silencing hand. ‘After we’ve eaten, hmm?’
‘I’d really rather not—’
‘Would you like dinner now, sir?’ Once again Max prevented her from telling Leon she would rather not discuss Michael with him now or at any other time.
‘Helen?’
‘Yes, yes, that’s fine.’ She stood up to follow him through to the dining-room.
Max certainly was a good cook and the meal was superb, but Helen’s appetite still hadn’t returned.
They took coffee in the lounge. ‘You want to talk about Mike West now?’ Leon watched her closely.
’No! I—er—I—Do you think Max is annoyed with me for not doing justice to that lovely meal he cooked for us?’ she asked in a rush. ‘His cooking really is superb. I—I’m just not hungry.’
‘No, I’m sure he didn’t mind.’ He sighed. ‘You aren’t going to tell me, are you?’
‘I can’t!’ She put her hands over her face. ‘It may not seem anything to you and I—I couldn’t bear it if you ridiculed me.’
‘God, I’m not going to ridicule you,’ he snapped. ‘How could you even think that? What sort of person do you think I am?’ he demanded.
Helen flinched at his undisguised show of anger. ‘I didn’t mean—I didn’t mean it insultingly,’ she almost pleaded for his understanding. ‘It’s just that you mix in the same crowd as Michael, and things that shock me may not mean a thing to you.’
‘I’m not saying I would be shocked, I’m not sure anything that disreputable husband of yours did could do that, but I know it had to be something pretty bad to have made you leave him after only two days. You’re a fighter, not someone who gives in easily.’
‘Thank you for your faith in me,’ she said, ‘but there were a lot of people only too eager to believe Michael could do no wrong.’
‘I never knew him to do anything right. I once went to one of his parties, but I didn’t stay long,’ he grimaced.
‘No, his parties did tend to be like that. I only went to one of them too.’ She shuddered at the memory of it.
‘Before or after you were married?’
‘After,’ she said shakily.
‘Where did you meet him?’
‘At—’ she frowned. ‘I thought I said I didn’t want to talk about it. It’s always the same when I talk to you, you make me tell you things I’ve never told anyone else.’
Leon stood up and came over to sit on the arm of her chair. ‘That’s as it should be, Helen. I want to be the one you can talk to, I want that very much.’ He lifted her chin, gently caressing her creamy skin. ‘Tell me, Helen. Please!’
She bit her lip. ‘You won’t dislike me for it?’